Villarreal Appoint Luis Garcia As New Manager After Sacking Javi Calleja

Luis Garcia Plaza has been appointed as Villarreal’s new manager until the end of the season following the sacking of Javi Calleja.

Villarreal finally sacked Javi Calleja on the back of Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Celta Vigo which left them three points above LaLiga’s relegation zone.

Garcia Plaza coached the club’s B side in 2005-06 and has since held senior roles at Levante and Getafe, as well as spending time with Beijing Renhe in the Chinese Super League.

His first game is a Europa League tie at home to Spartak Moscow on Thursday, a match that Villarreal have to avoid a defeat to progress to the knockout stage of the competition.

“On Thursday, we have a vital match. We’re playing to stay in the Europa League. We can’t change anything in two days, but in the first session, we’ve seen very positive things,” he commented.

Finally, he expressed his satisfaction at returning to the club.
“When I left, I felt I needed to grow as a coach to return one day. I’m really proud to be able to come back and I hope it will be a successful era for both the club and myself,” concluded Luis Garcia.